October 4thand 6th Wine & Cheese Tasting at The Wine Steward
La Carraia Orvieto Classico 2006
Origin: Orvieto Classico is one of the best known white wines from Central Italy. It boasts a long history that dates back to medieval times, when it was the favorite wine of the Papacy, and even reaches back to the time of the Etruscan, a population who inhabited the area thousands year ago. It is a classic Italian white grown in vineyards surrounding the historic hilltop town of Orvieto, in the region of Umbria, Italy.
Varietal: 40% Grechetto, 30% Trebbiano and 30% Malvasia
Tasting Notes: This wine is Pale yellow in color with an elegant and intense perfume of Mediterranean flowers. It is fresh on the palate with a full, rich taste of roasted almonds.
Food Pairing: Recommended with a variety of seafood dishes but structured enough to accompany hot starters, cured meats, pasta, omelets and even delicately roasted white meats. $13.49
Gavi Di Gavi La Scolca 2006
Origin: This traditional Gavi is vinified from grapes of exuberant young vineyards located in the heart of Rovereto of Gavi, a place known worldwide as the "Gran Crù of Gavi". Their perfectly balanced aging lends the wine its typical fresh, dry taste. This "Great White," which has become a Classic on the Italian wine scene, is produced in a century-old tradition, representing the true essence of Gavi wine.
Varietal: 100% Cortese.
Tasting Notes : Light straw color. Typical Gavi nose; fine and pleasantly fresh. Delicate in the mouth, very dry, characterized by a crisp and refreshing acidity.
Food Pairing: This wine pairs well with oysters, fish, crab, Antipasto, quiche, salmon, scallops, shellfish, shrimp, and sushi. $18.99
Zenato Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2004
Origin: Valpolicella Classico area in the Veneto
region of Italy.
Varietal: A blend of 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella and 10% Sangiovese.
Tasting Notes : Ruby-red in color tending toward garnet as the wine matures. Dry and robust on the palate with an excellent, velvety texture, this wine offers fleshy aromas of wild berries, currant, black cherry and spice, framed by intriguing hints of chocolate. Valpolicella simply tastes wonderful with nearly everything. It’s the kind of wine, like Beaujolais, that can be your all-purpose house wine.
Food Pairing: This wine will pair well with veal, salmon, red meat, pizza, grilled vegetables, antipasto and any tomato based Italian dish such as spaghetti bolognese or lasagna. Valpolicella is also good with northern Italian hard cheeses such as Piave, Gorgonzola, and Fontina. $15.69
Regaleali Nero D’Avola 2005
Origin: Sicilia, Italy
Varietal: 100% Nero D’Avola
Tasting Notes: This wine offers a bright ruby red color, and a rich bouquet of cherry, blackberry, mulberry, vanilla, cinnamon, mint and sage. On the palate, it is complex and supple, with ripe berries framed by juicy tannins.
Food Pairing: The right choice for eggplant parmigiana, pasta with meat sauce, meatballs, sausages, pizza and roasted meats. A delicious Sicilian red wine. $15.69
Ceretto Barolo Zonchera 2001
Barolo has been called the " king of wines," and the " wine of kings." It is one of the world's best wines and is made from only the very best Nebbiolo grapes, grown near the town of Alba in Italy's Piedmont. This wine is a great value in the world of Barolos.
Origin: Barolo, Piedmont, Northwestern Italy
Varietal: 100% Nebbiolo
Tasting Notes: This is a soft, harmonious, velvety Barolo, with limited tannin content and a fine balance between alcohol and acid. It displays extraordinary drinkability after just a few months in the bottle, and in this excellent vintage it can be enjoyed for at least ten years. The Wine Spectator: Toasted oak with plum, berry and coffee aromas and flavors. Medium- to full-bodied, with tangy fruit and a cedary, dried flower aftertaste. 88 points
Food Pairing: Barolo goes well with game (pheasant and hare), roast meat, piquant cheeses, recipes with truffles, braised lamb shanks, spaghetti with bolognese sauce, braised veal, and rib roast. $32.99